# Canada immigration medical exam, explained

> Many applications need an immigration medical exam with an approved doctor. Why it is needed, who does it, when to book and what to bring.

- Category: Visas & permits
- For: newcomers moving abroad to work, settle or join family
- Country: Canada
- Verified on: 2026-10-20
- Source: [IRCC — Medical exams (immigration)](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/medical-police/medical-exams.html)
- Page: https://travelsorted.grihaam.online/resources/canada-immigration-medical-exam-explained

## The short answer

If you apply for permanent residence, you must have an **immigration medical exam**, and so must your family members, even if they are not coming with you. The exam checks that you are not inadmissible for medical reasons. It must be done by a **panel physician** approved by IRCC. Your own doctor cannot do it. The timing depends on your application type, so follow IRCC's instructions for yours.

## Key terms in plain English

- **Immigration medical exam (IME):** the medical check IRCC requires for many applications.
- **Panel physician:** a doctor approved by IRCC to carry out the exam. IRCC publishes a list.
- **Upfront medical exam:** an exam you complete before you apply. It applies in some Express Entry cases.
- **Inadmissible on medical grounds:** a legal term for a health condition that IRCC may consider a risk to public health or safety, or likely to place excessive demand on services.
- **Medical surveillance:** follow-up monitoring in Canada after an exam finds a particular condition, such as inactive tuberculosis.

## Who needs one and when

IRCC's official pages explain that:

1. **For Express Entry,** you get the exam after you receive an invitation to apply but before you submit the application. This is called the upfront exam. You contact a panel physician directly.
2. **For other permanent residence applications,** IRCC sends instructions after you submit a complete application. Wait for those instructions before going for the exam.
3. **Family members** who are part of your application, or are being sponsored, need their own exams.
4. **Temporary residents** (visitors, students and workers) have separate rules, which IRCC explains on a different page.

If you do not follow the instructions, IRCC may refuse your application.

## Finding a doctor

Use IRCC's list of panel physicians to find an approved doctor in the country where you live. Book directly with the clinic, check what it needs from you, and ask how its results reach IRCC.

## What to expect

The exam is done by the panel physician, who sends the result to IRCC. The doctor does not make the final decision about your medical exam. IRCC does, and if there is a problem it contacts you in writing. IRCC's page lists what to bring, what you must pay for and what to do if you cannot complete the exam.

## Checklist

- [ ] Check on IRCC's page whether and when your application needs the exam
- [ ] Find an approved doctor on IRCC's panel physician list
- [ ] Book the exam for each family member who needs one
- [ ] Bring your passport and anything else the clinic or IRCC tells you to bring
- [ ] Ask the clinic what you need to pay for and in which form
- [ ] Do not go for the exam before IRCC tells you to, if your application type says to wait
- [ ] Keep the confirmation or reference number you are given

## Common mistakes

- **Using your own family doctor.** Only a panel physician can do it.
- **Going too early or too late.** Follow the timing for your application type.
- **Forgetting family members who are not travelling.** They also need exams.
- **Using an unapproved clinic.** Check the list.
- **Ignoring a request for follow-up.** IRCC may refuse an application if instructions are not followed.

## Things that change

IRCC publishes exemptions and special measures from time to time, for example for some people already living in Canada. Types of exam, panel physician lists and timing can change.

## Verify before you act

Read IRCC's page on [medical exams](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/medical-police/medical-exams.html), the requirements for [permanent residence applicants](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/medical-police/medical-exams/requirements-permanent-residents.html) and the [panel physician list](https://secure.cic.gc.ca/PanelPhysicianMedecinDesigne/en/Home).

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StudentFlow gives general information from official sources. It is not legal or immigration advice and we are not a licensed immigration consultant or lawyer. For advice on your case, speak to a licensed professional. Confirm current rules, fees and thresholds on the official source above.